The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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iPhone 6 sales are booming and ’s controversial decision to supersize its phones appears to have paid off big time. But a new report claims Apple is not done yet and a 4-inch version of the iPhone 6 is also in development to appeal to those still unconvinced by the larger screens.

Picked up by GSM Arena, the story originates from notable Chinese site Feng.com (in Chinese) and it claims the 4-inch iPhone 6 will be launched next year to replace the iPhone 5C.

Is it true? At this stage it is impossible to know, but in my opinion the argument for a 4-inch iPhone 6 is growing and I believe Apple would be mad not to make it. Here are my five reasons why:

The proportional size of a 4-inch iPhone 6 'mini' to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

1. Choice

Apple has never been the greatest purveyor of choice. The company decides what is best for its customers and then it is Apple’s way or the highway, but abandoning the size of its most popular ever product is ballsy even for Apple.

Furthermore, despite the success of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, there are a large number of grumbling iPhone owners who are not prepared to go bigger. Eventually time will force them to upgrade, but why force when you can have them joyfully snapping your hand off.

Small, Medium and Large makes for a very natural selection. Apple has already had great success with the iPod mini/nano and iPad mini ranges and stocking an iPhone 6 mini, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus trips off the tongue.

3. Better Budget Option

Right now Apple’s cheapest iPhone is essentially a two year old iPhone 5 in a plastic chassis. Then there’s the ‘budget-ish’ iPhone 5S, a year old phone which doesn’t match the design of the new iPhone 6 series. That's four phones spread across three generations with four storage options.

A 4-inch iPhone 6 can replace both the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S as the budget option. It unifies the design of the range and, if launched when the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus appear, could use iPhone 6 internals and an iPhone 6-matching 720p resolution to avoid complications for app developers.

In addition the size would be ideal for parents’ looking for a high quality handset for their children.